Patrick Love 1836-1883
Bridget Love 1841-1883
Ellen Love 1861-1862
Margaret Love 1871-1872
Catherine Love 1871-1872
Patrick Love arrived in Australia in August 1857 with James McClelland. They were both from Co Fermanagh, Ireland. Patrick’s townland was Drumgormly. His parents were Owen Love and Susan Scollan. Three brothers, Hugh, Denis and Bernard, also came to Australia some years after Patrick. The family was reputedly heavily involved with the Ribbonmen, the illegal Irish agricultural movement. An Irish researcher has indicated that the family, because of the troubled times and activities, changed their name from Murvenagh to Love. Owen Morvonagh, listed on the 1766 Census for Devenish Parish, is believed to be the great grandfather of Patrick and his brothers. Patrick Mulvournagh, listed on the 1794 Religious Census as a farmer of Drumgormly in the Devenish Parish would have been the grandfather of the four boys who emigrated. The Celtic version of the name Murvenagh is Morboirneac (male format) and Morboirneach (female format).
Patrick married Bridget Rochford on 26.10.1858 at Fr Eugene O’Connell’s house, Darley. Bridget was the daughter of Michael Rochford and Ellen Bourke from Co Kilkenny. Patrick and Bridget had ten children. Three died in infancy – Ellen and the twins, Catherine and Margaret who died within three days of each other at ten months of age. Ellen was just eight months old. It is difficult to imagine the sadness Patrick and Bridget experienced, as would many of our early Irish pioneers, because so many of the early burials at Hopetoun Cemetery were babies and young children. The fathers would have been faced with the task of making the coffins and often conducting the burials. Patrick was shown on the 1877-1878 Bacchus Marsh valuation return. He had a house and land valued at both Maddingley and Parwan. Patrick and Bridget lived in a cottage on the north side of Geelong Road (as locals would say – half way up Slack’s hill). Hugh and Margaret lived in a timber cottage on the south side of Griffith St, Maddingley (later lived in by the Dowling family). Patrick was employed as a contractor by the local shire. He died in February, 1883 as a result of injuries received in a gravel pit accident. He was just 47 years old. His wife, Bridget, died nine months later, aged 42. Both Patrick and Bridget were buried in the Hopetoun cemetery with their infant daughters. Ellen and the twins, Margaret and Catherine. Seven children were left without parents – Susan, Mary, Bridget, Hugh, James, Bernard and Ellen who was just seven years old.
Susan married Joseph Bottle. Susan Bottle nee Love died in 1898. She left five children. Their youngest son, Hugh Joseph Bottle was killed during one of the fierce battles on the Western Front in 1916 at Factory Corner, Flers. He is buried in the Cabaret Rouge War cemetery in France. In 2011 Brenden Love with his wife, Margaret and good friend, Bernice Clarke visited his grave and the place where he lost his life.
Also serving with the AIF was Bernard Love, son of Patrick’s brother, Bernard. He suffered severe wounds in fierce fighting on the Western Front and never fully recovered. Hugh’s plaque is on tree number 24 in the Bacchus Marsh Avenue of Honour. Bernard Love’s plaque is on tree number 151.
Bridget married Thomas Hanson. They had five children. Lorraine Stewart nee Edwards is a great great grand-daughter of Bridget and Thomas Hanson.
Hugh Love married Margaret Brennan, from Dunmore, Co Galway. She was the priest’s housekeeper. They married in 1894 and had twins. One was stillborn. Hugh and Margaret Love reared Charlotte Taylor whose mother died in childbirth. Their son, Alphonsus Michael Love married Stella Byrne in 1919. They had four children. Their eldest son, Laurence served with the RAN during WW2. His obituary read, ‘Lawrie was on the HMAS Vampire, a destroyer of the RAN, providing escort for the aircraft carrier, HMS Hermes, when both ships fell victim to Japanese bombers off the coast of Ceylon in 1841. Many of the crew spent several hours in the water before being rescued. His death at just 29 was attributed to his war service. ‘Lawrie left a wife, Margaret and a three year old daughter, Judith. Laurie played cricket with Bacchus Marsh Cricket Club. His nephew, Brenden, has a framed certificate presented to Laurie, vice-captain and playing member of Bacchus Marsh Cricket Club who were premiership team for the 1946-47 season.
Second son, Alphonsus Byrne married Jean McIntyre whose grandparents were from Scotland and Norway. Phonsie and Jean had seven children, six of whom – Lynette, Michael, Brenden, Karen, Kevin and Hadyn- are still residing in Bacchus Marsh. Brenden was a member of Bacchus Marsh Jaycees who did restoration work on the Hopetoun Cemetery in 1970. Brenden passed away on 1st April, 2017. Daryl lives at Airey’s Inlet.
The third child of Alphonsus and Stella Love, Roma, married Frank Webster. Their three children and grandchildren live in northern NSW and QLD.
The youngest child, Vince Love, married Shirley Delahey who died from cancer after a short marriage. Vince was married a second time to Dorothy Young. Their three sons and grandchildren live in Melbourne. Vince played with Maddingley Football Club.
– From ‘The Love Family History’ (Margaret Love)
At last count, the initial Patrick and Bridget Love, following through the Hugh Love line, have eleven GGG grandchildren and twenty-one GGGG grandchildren still residing in the town. One of those GGGG grandchildren, Tyson Shea, captained Bacchus Marsh Football Club in its first Ballarat Football League Premiership in 2016. Tyson’s first child, a great great great great great grand-daughter of the pioneer settlers, Patrick and Bridget Love, a daughter, was born early in 2017.
HOPETOUN CATHOLIC CEMETERY 